Theophrastus
Theophrastus
Theophrastus, a Greek native of Eresos in Lesbos, was the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He came to Athens at a young age and initially studied in Plato's school. After Plato's death, he attached himself to Aristotle. Aristotle bequeathed to Theophrastus his writings and designated him as his successor at the Lyceum. Theophrastus presided over the Peripatetic school for thirty-six years, during which time the school flourished greatly. He is often considered the "father of botany" for his...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
superstitions cowardice seems
Superstition would seem to be simply cowardice in regard to the supernatural.
faces superstitions cowardice
Ah, yes, superstition: it would appear to be cowardice in face of the supernatural.
appears approaches asks case cast ears evidence head ill man mistress sort stand verdict work
The unseasonable man is the sort of person who comes up to you when you are head over ears in work and confides to you all about it. He serenades his mistress when she is ill with fever. He approaches a man who has been cast in a surety case and asks him to stand surety for him. He appears to give evidence after the verdict is given.
science air wind
Anaximenes ... also says that the underlying nature is one and infinite ... but not undefined as Anaximander said but definite, for he identifies it as air; and it differs in its substantial nature by rarity and density. Being made finer it becomes fire; being made thicker it becomes wind, then cloud, then (when thickened still more) water, then earth, then stones; and the rest come into being from these.
ambition men dinner
The man of petty ambition if invited to dinner will be eager to be set next his host.
doe boasters pretension
I would define boastfulness to be the pretension to good which the boaster does not possess.
horse judgment orators
An orator without judgment is a horse without a bridle.
inspirational expenditures
Our costliest expenditure is time.
time waste expenses
Waste of time is the most extravagant and costly of all expenses.
gout flutes sound
The sound of the flute will cure epilepsyand sciatic gout.
nature character views
We must consider the distinctive characters and the general nature of plants from the point of view of their morphology , their behavior under external conditions, their mode of generation, and the whole course of their life.
beauty deception mute
Beauty is a mute deception.
love love-is mind
Love is the affection of a mind that has nothing better to engage it.
ambition vanity dying
Remember that life holds out many pleasing deceits to us by the vanity of glory; for that when we are beginning to live, then we are dying. There is, therefore, nothing more profitless than ambition.